Autonomous police 'will better serve public'

Autonomous police 'will better serve public'

JAKARTA (JP): Observers praised on Wednesday city police chief
Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman's proposal to require a minimum
rank of colonel instead of lieutenant colonel for the city's five
precinct chiefs.

They said in separate interviews with The Jakarta Post that
the plan -- which would ensure the chiefs were at least equal in
rank to district military commanders -- was in accordance with
the drive to increase the police's independence and maximize its
role in protecting and serving the people.

"Police precincts, which stand on the front line in the
police's public service, will have greater autonomy and authority
to provide better services to the public," said Gen. (ret)
Awaloeddin Djamin, head of the National Police Commander's
Supervisory Body.

Awaloeddin, who is a former chief of the National Police, said
the appointment of colonels would eliminate the prospect of
intervention from the provincial police, National Police
Headquarters and also Indonesian Military (TNI) Headquarters.

"With the scheme, the city police delegates its authority to
the respective police precincts. It's positive for the police
precinct chiefs to act on their own initiative since they know
best the characteristics of the community under their
supervision."

Awaloeddin said a police precinct chief would be given full
authority under the plan to place dependable police personnel in
areas with high-crime rates.

Satjipto Rahardjo, a professor at law at Diponegoro University
in the Central Java capital of Semarang, said the plan would be
followed by an advancement in the devices at the police's
disposal and the number of police personnel.

"It will enhance the police precincts' ability to handle
security and order within the community," he told the Post by
phone.

Satjipto said the military was still needed to maintain order
and security in the city, but it should only provide a back-up
function.

"Security affairs should be under the police's control, but
not under the military because the characteristics of the police
are to protect the public. Meanwhile, the doctrine of the
military is to destroy an enemy, not to protect people."

A criminologist, Adrianus Meliala, said the scheme would put
the police precinct chiefs in an equal position with regents or
mayors, and end the police's lower status to the military
district command, which is led by a lieutenant colonel.

"Coordination between the three components (police, military
and military police) will be fast, including in the deployment of
troops to sites of unrest, since the police precinct would not
necessarily wait for instructions from the provincial police
headquarters."

Adrianus, also a lecturer in the University of Indonesia's
postgraduate police science program, underlined the police
precincts' role in serving the public.

"National Police and provincial police should no longer take
over cases, such as burglaries, but delegate the responsibility
to police precincts," he said.

National Police Headquarters should only act as a planner,
while the provincial police should merely be a coordinator of
police precincts under its supervision, he said.

Abuse of power

Adrianus recommended that the city police consider
establishing a police commission to check against the possibility
of abuses of power by police officers due to their increased
authority.

"Like in Japan, a police commission was established to watch
closely the police officers' moves," he said.

"The commission comprises representatives of the central
government and provincial government officials, national and
provincial police and from local community."

But Awaloeddin said local councilors and the police's
inspectorate general would be sufficient to prevent abuses of
power. (asa)